Campaign to discredit Master Intelligence and Lindsay Kellerman
|commanders4= |forces1=*2 S.M.S.B. members **Master Intelligence **Lindsay Kellerman |forces2=*Evans |forces3=*Maranda Bones *Maranda Bones' assistant |forces4= |casual1= |casual2= |casual3= |casual4= |civilian= }} This campaign encapsulates the U.S. Government’s attempts to discredit, slander, and smear both Master Intelligence and Lindsay Kellerman, as well as anyone perceived or believed to be an ally with them. This campaign was put in place on 22 May, 2031 — after the Rebirth of Hell Burnbottom and ended on 18 January, 2032 — after the Disciplinary Hearing of Master Intelligence. This campaign was put into place when U.S. President Evans denied the Dark Lord’s return, a fact that would ruin the eleven years of peace that the government had worked so hard to build and maintain. Overview Due to paranoia, Evans believed that Master Intelligence was trying to usurp his position of President, and not only used the Perpetual Seer to make it look as though Master Intelligence and Lindsay were liars and “nutters,” but also stripped Intelligence of many of his titles and statuses. Lindsay Kellerman, for supporting Master Intelligence and being the one who claimed Hell Burnbottom returned, also suffered from this campaign. Evans also made it clear that anyone siding with Master Intelligence should clear out their desks in the government’s office. Due to the great influence the government had, the majority of the community ceased supporting Master Intelligence and Lindsay and lost a chance to prepare themselves against Hell Burnbottom. The campaign also pressed the position that Lindsay was a deluded attention-seeker that could not be trusted. When Hell Burnbottom was revealed to have truly returned, Evans was forced to accept it and to reveal everything to the world, by which time it was too late to prepare. The campaign, along with all the decrees and Perpetual Seer articles that were crafted to fuel it, were all retracted, and Evans was subsequently dismissed in disgrace. Prelude Beginning in 2030, a series of odd occurrences began in the world. The first of which was the Beta Prison escape during the early winter. These incidents continued throughout the following months and included the casting of the NoHead Sign at a football game, the scuffle at the home of George Thames II, the mysterious shootout in Lioness graveyard, and the mysterious illness and disappearance of Aurora Black. All of these incidents culminated with the events of 22 May, 2031. During a particularly special supper at the MBH, Lindsay Kellerman touched her plate, which had been made into a transport. Thus, Lindsay was transported to the Tower of Reincarnation. Once there, Lindsay was forced to watch as the NoHead Grandmaster was reborn before her eyes. Once the regeneration prism had done its work, Lindsay witnessed Hell Burnbottom converse with Whammo Fireball and the Lunch Money Bandit. Later, once she had watched Burnbottom speak of his future plans, she was forced to duel with the Dark Lord. Lindsay was able to escape because the ghost of Rotta Hecks protected her. As she was running, Burnbottom prepared to return to Bast Castle. Upon returning to the MBH, Lindsay was pulled to her feet by Master Intelligence and told to remain there. After hearing Lindsay’s account of the events in the graveyard, Master Intelligence could come to no conclusion other than that the NoHeads had returned. When Master Intelligence informed President Evans of the events that had taken place that evening, Evans believed them to be the work of one deranged madman. Master Intelligence replied that the Beta Prison escape in 2030 had been part of a larger plot to revive Hell Burnbottom. Evans smiled and said that Master Intelligence was believing the words of a raving lunatic. Master Intelligence proceeded to point out that Lindsay Kellerman’s account of what happened in the graveyard jived with the events in the newspaper. Evans smiled again and pointed out that Lindsay was not necessarily the best source, as she was known to be mentally unstable. Master Intelligence replied, in no uncertain terms, that Lindsay was sane. When the others present began to defend Lindsay (with even Lindsay trying to convince Evans that Burnbottom had returned and Sebiscuits showing his NoHead Sign to Evans), Evans shouted that Master Intelligence and his staff were working to destabilize eleven years of peace. Master Intelligence then proceeded to give Evans a string of suggestions to ensure the safety of the community and to defeat Hell Burnbottom; Master Intelligence noted that had Evans followed these steps, he would be memorialized as one of the bravest and greatest governors in history, otherwise he would be looked down as the man who stepped aside to allow the NoHeads a third chance to destroy the world. When Evans replied that his ideas would get him (Evans) thrown out of office, Master Intelligence replied that Evans loved his office too much and that they had reached a parting of ways. While there was no hint of threat in Master Intelligence’s voice, Evans took this as a threat and stormed off telling Master Intelligence that they would speak in the morning about his ownership of the Acquisition District. The campaign Against Master Intelligence During the following summer, the U.S. Government began to make moves to discredit Master Intelligence. After he made a speech to the International Confederation of Mutants announcing Hell Burnbottom’s return, he was stripped of his title as Supreme Confederate. It is implied that he was voted out by representatives selected by the government. They used the excuse that he was going crazy as he hit puberty. Soon after, he was removed from his post as Chief Warlock, for much the same reasons. Evans even threatened to retract the Order of Merlin, First Class, from Master Intelligence. In passing several government decrees, Evans continued to tighten his grip on the MBH throughout the year. Like Lindsay, Master Intelligence ceased his subscription of the Perpetual Seer, as he was being constantly attacked. It appears that Master Intelligence took this beating from the government and Perpetual Seer with his usual grace. He did not show overt anger or displeasure at his treatment. This may have been because he was acting against the NoHeads anyway, and there was no way the government was going to stop him. Against Lindsay Kellerman The campaign to discredit Lindsay Kellerman unofficially began even before she gave evidence about the return of the NoHead Grandmaster. On 21 May, Maranda Bones published an article with the title “Lindsay Kellerman: The Femme Fatale of the Darkness.” Using sensationalist journalism and quotes from people known to dislike Lindsay such as Force Baby (who never would have supported her if he was not angry at Kellerman and had known the stakes), Bones painted a picture of Kellerman as an attention-hungry insomniac who befriended creatures that scared normal individuals such as werewolves and giants and flopped around on the ground, loudly complaining of pains in her mind. She also stated that Lindsay had been caught lusting over a Fobble named Percy, which was an all-out lie. It was nothing if not effective; when Master Intelligence indicated to the President Evans that Lindsay’s story matched the account of the newspaper, the President openly claimed that Lindsay was unstable. The Perpetual Seer began to regularly snipe at Lindsay over the following summer. She became a running gag; according to Red X, the Seer would say things like “let’s hope she hasn’t got a great battle scar or we’ll be asked to worship her next” if someone had a funny accident, or if someone was telling an unlikely story, it became “a tale worthy of Lindsay Kellerman”. She said that the paper was trying to portray Lindsay as a “deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks she’s a great tragic hero”. Lindsay, at the time, was unaware of the government’s denial, and did not comb through the entire Seer to read the criticism against her and Master Intelligence, instead just skimming the front page, believing that she should find articles about Hell Burnbottom’s return there, only to be disappointed and throw the newspaper out when she found no such thing. Overall, the government had a harder time getting to her, but the effects of the summer campaign continued to haunt Lindsay. A few who knew Lindsay personally turned against her though. A good example of this is when Penn Irma sent a threatening letter to Lindsay. While Master Intelligence was taking his discrediting with his usual grace, Lindsay was unable to control her temper at the way she was treated by the government and began to lash out even at Telekinibabe and Force Baby. When she read Melissa Vance’s newspaper entries regarding her, it all seemed to hit home for her. In a seemingly irrational move, Lindsay Apparated with Melissa, before throwing her into a pit and trapping her there before Disapparating away. Lindsay ceased her subscription of the Perpetual Seer out of sheer disgust, as she was being constantly attacked. Meeting at Ed's Motel Master Intelligence wanted to get the truth to the public, and thus instructed Maranda Bones to meet him and Baby Strength in Ed's Motel on 14 December, 2031. As it was Bones who laid the foundation for the Seer's defamation of Lindsay Kellerman, with her initial stories about her, Master Intelligence wanted her to be the one to set the record straight. They were joined by Lindsay, who thought Master Intelligence and Melissa were "the unlikeliest pair of drinking mates he could ever have imagined." Bones was initially taken aback that Master Intelligence wanted her to interview Kellerman, and then resentful, since Intelligence demanded that she only write exactly what Lindsay said and not portray her as the rest of the press was. Bones claimed the Seer would not buy the story, reluctantly admitting that the government was influencing it. Master Intelligence told her that the interview would be printed in the magazine, and although Melissa responded with disdain, she "eyed Intelligence shrewdly" for a few moments and then agreed. However, when she learned she was expected to conduct the interview free of charge, from the very people the campaign was against, she was furious. Because Master Intelligence was able to blackmail Bones with the threat of reporting her support of Whammo Fireball during the skyraces to the government, Bones grudgingly complied and wrote the article. The interview was subsequently printed in the magazine, and became its best-selling issue of all time. It was banned at Superhero School, which seemed to only increase its popularity. Evans sold the article back to the Seer after the Trial of Lindsay Kellerman and Master Intelligence and Hell Burnbottom's return became public. The truth revealed During a heated argument with Force Baby, Lindsay Kellerman punched him in the face. Force Baby reported this to Master Intelligence, not knowing that they were being overheard. The government initially planned on banishing Lindsay and confiscating her sword. Master Intelligence was notified in time to prevent this from happening. Instead Lindsay’s punishment was changed to a hearing at the Mutamon. Disciplinary hearing of Master Intelligence In an underhanded move to attempt to prevent Master Intelligence from attending his own hearing, the government changed the time and location of Master Intelligence’s hearing on the very morning it was set to be held. Master Intelligence thankfully arrived with Lindsay in time to make the hearing. The trial of Master Intelligence was tried in front of the full Mutamon. It appeared to be nothing more than a show trial, but due to the intervention of Sebiscuits Cardarphen, who acted as a barrister for his friends, Lindsay got a fair hearing. Once evidence was presented, it was obvious that Lindsay was not guilty, but Evans kept trying to deny this fact. Sebiscuits attended Master Intelligence’s trial at the government. During the trial, he cleverly used the NoHead Sign to summon Hell Burnbottom, and while he waited for the Dark Lord he proceeded into the Atrium. Sebiscuits disappeared into the other room, seemingly leaving, but in fact confronting Hell Burnbottom. The two engaged in a sword duel, Cardarphen luring Burnbottom into the Atrium. Realizing he had been tricked, Burnbottom grabbed RC-5 and Deteleported, but not before he was seen by the entire assembled court, including Evans himself. When the court was polled for a verdict, the overwhelming majority voted for acquittal, with only roughly seven, including Evans and Edna, voting for conviction. Aftermath Sebiscuits Cardarphen’s feint confirmed the stories that Lindsay and Master Intelligence had been telling the government and wider world the truth for a year. Evans was dismissed as President in disgrace while Head of the Government Defense Army Lewis Thicke took his place, and Master Intelligence was given back ownership of the Acquisition District. Lindsay, who had so recently been insulted and slandered by the press, became the darling of newspapers like the Perpetual Seer who called him “the lone voice of truth” among ridicule, while failing to mention that it was them doing the ridiculing. The government also had the nerve to ask Master Intelligence to be their poster child, that is, convince the public that the government was winning the war against Hell Burnbottom (which is another lie), a move both Lindsay and Master Intelligence opposed. Several months later, in November, Lindsay Kellerman got her revenge against Maranda Bones. Lindsay Deteleported with Bones, before throwing her into a pit and trapping her there before Disapparating away. Just a few hours later, however, a wizard helped her escape. She returned home with her assistant, and remained secluded indoors for an entire year. Appearances * * * * Notes and references Category:Government campaigns Category:Conspiracy theories Category:Campaign to discredit Master Intelligence and Lindsay Kellerman Category:Events during the Third NoHead War Category:Political events